rife

adjective

ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio)
Definition of rifenext
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rife Speculation has been rife for years that strong men aid their performance with steroids. — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 In a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition strikes the most vulnerable, such income losses can be critical. — Abdul Qahar Afghan, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026 The impetus for this work, according to the researchers, is that drug-resistant bacteria are rife and growing. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 Tensions are also rife over the mine’s water consumption and the terms of its community-benefit agreement. — Justin Worland, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rife
  1. filled
  2. crowded
  3. fraught
  4. abundant
  5. awash
  6. packed
  7. teeming
  8. jammed
Adjective
  • Taylor received the medication in four pre-filled syringes, but wanted a lower dose.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have introduced or passed legislation penalizing the practice and requiring employers to disclose hiring timelines or remove filled postings, while Texas has opened its own investigation into a major job board.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of filled
Adjective
  • Becerra’s road to the state’s top job involved surviving a bruising June primary campaign that featured a crowded field of Democrats.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • In a crowded room draped in brown curtains and lush chocolate carpeting, Don Julio espresso martinis flow, and people buzz as shopping assistants bring boots and purses out of the stock room.
    — Elise Brisco, VIBE.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of crowded
Adjective
  • In such a fraught moment for AI names, the market didn't give Qnity any credit.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Becerra reminded the audience that the moment was fraught for Latinos, though.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of fraught
Adjective
  • That is because magmatic gases like hydrogen chloride would have been more abundant in the past, creating a thicker Martian atmosphere and warmer climate.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Lithium grabs the spotlight, but cheap and abundant sodium has long held the key to large-scale energy storage.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of abundant
Adjective
  • Best Time to Ride Fall is arguably the most scenic time to ride the Ethan Allen Express, when the Hudson Valley and Vermont’s countryside are awash in vibrant reds, oranges, and golds.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Iommi then released two more records with Seventh Star singer Glenn Hughes, which were both awash in blues-dad cliché.
    — Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of awash
Adjective
  • Many of the women in the packed courtroom gallery appeared unhappy when the sentences were rendered.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Kering Women in Motion, an allied program of the Tokyo International Film Festival, held a talk event on Tuesday at Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills for a packed crowd.
    — Mark Schilling, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of packed
Adjective
  • The new findings are confounding scientists’ expectations, raising questions about how exactly molecules can encounter their reactive partners in a teeming, crowded space — and therefore how cells can possibly function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of teeming
Adjective
  • Hugo Boss came under more scrutiny in June, when a factory worker at Arctic Textile Mills in Faisalabad, Pakistan, lost an arm while clearing jammed machinery.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • When those signals are blocked, disrupted or deliberately jammed, vehicles may need other methods to maintain reliable navigation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of jammed

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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rife. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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